Affected Amphipods
What looks like a shrimp, is related to crabs and lobsters, and is found only in small freshwater springs in Rock Creek Park? Hay’s Spring Amphipod – a tiny, blind, bacteria and fungus-eating crustacean. Both Hay’s Spring amphipod and Kenk’s amphipod are found only in the District of Columbia, surviving among wet leaves in areas where groundwater rises to the earth’s surface. While these tiny creatures may seem insignificant, amphipods are very sensitive to changes in their habitat, and can be important indicators of water quality and quantity.
Viewer Tip: Scientists note that development around the DC area might put amphipods at risk because pavement and other “hard” surfaces do not allow rain water to soak into the ground, where it recharges the groundwater supplies these creatures depend on for survival. You can help recharge groundwater supplies by directing home downspouts towards grassy or vegetated areas, instead of paved driveways or sidewalks. During the next rain, water will soak slowly into the ground, rather than running off into the storm drain.
Seasons: All
(Sources: Smithsonian National Zoological Park. “Tiny Treasures.” Zoogoer, December 2005, http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Publications/ZooGoer/2005/6/amphipods.cfm; Fahrenhold, D.A. “On the Brink.” The Washington Post, Wednesday, August 20, 2008; US EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds, www.epa.gov/owow.)
